Stuck in the '80s Podcast

Some movies don't just survive the passage of time—they become part of who we are.

Released 40 years ago, Stand By Me captured something rare: the bittersweet moment when childhood gives way to adulthood. Based on Stephen King's novella The Body, the film transformed a simple search for a missing boy into one of the most heartfelt stories ever told about friendship, growing up and realizing that life only gets more complicated from there.

In this classic episode of Stuck in the '80s, hosts Steve Spears and Brad Williams are joined by guest co-host Michelle Willits to celebrate one of the greatest films of the decade.

Along the way, they compare Rob Reiner's film with King's original story, discuss what changed in the adaptation (and what stayed remarkably faithful), and tackle one of the movie's most emotional moments: that ending. Did it perfectly capture the spirit of the story? Could it have ended any other way? The hosts don't entirely agree.

They also revisit the unforgettable performances from Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell, remember Kiefer Sutherland's menacing turn as Ace Merrill, and reflect on why Richard Dreyfuss' narration still packs such an emotional punch.

Whether you first watched Stand By Me in a theater back in 1986 or discovered it years later, it's a movie that seems to hit a little differently with every viewing—and every stage of life.

Join us as we revisit a film that reminds us all of those friends we never quite forgot.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

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James Bond didn't just survive the 1980s—he evolved.

The decade began with the familiar charm of Roger Moore, who somehow managed to save the world while delivering one-liners smoother than a shaken martini. But by the end of the '80s, the tuxedo belonged to Timothy Dalton, whose darker, more serious interpretation helped pave the way for the modern Bond audiences know today.

On this week's Stuck in the '80s, hosts Steve Spears and Sean Daly welcome former St. Petersburg Times film critic Steve Persall for a mission worthy of MI6: revisiting every James Bond film released during the decade.

From space lasers and exploding Lotus Esprits to ski chases, killer theme songs and unforgettable villains, the trio debates which films still hold up—and which ones are best left in Q Branch storage. Is The Spy Who Loved Me era impossible to top? Did Licence to Kill deserve more love? Which Bond girl stole the show? And just how many times can Roger Moore raise one eyebrow before it becomes a special effect?

Along the way, they also discuss how the Bond franchise adapted to changing audiences, shifting action-movie trends and the arrival of a grittier leading man just as the decade came to a close.

Whether you're Team Moore, Team Dalton or simply here for the Aston Martins and gadgets, there's plenty to debate.

So pour yourself a martini (your choice of preparation), cue up the unmistakable Bond theme, and join us for a deep dive into one of the biggest movie franchises of the 1980s.

Love talking '80s movies, music and pop culture? Come experience it in person aboard The 80s Cruise, where Steve and the Stuck in the '80s crew host live podcasts, trivia, interviews with legendary artists and plenty of unforgettable fan events at sea.

If you're booking your cabin, don't forget to use promo code STUCK to receive up to a $250 cabin credit. We'll see you onboard!

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Some bands reunite because nostalgia sells.

Others reunite because they still have something to say.

Listening to Haircut 100's new album, Boxing the Compass, it's pretty clear which camp they fall into.

This week, Steve welcomes the always charming Nick Heyward back to Stuck in the '80s to talk about the band's first album featuring the original lineup in an astonishing 44 years. Rather than trying to recreate 1982, Haircut 100 has delivered an album that acknowledges the decades that have passed while still carrying the wit, warmth and melodic sparkle that made them one of the most distinctive bands of the early MTV era.

Nick talks about reconnecting with his longtime bandmates, finding the creative chemistry that had been dormant for decades, and why making new music together ultimately felt more exciting than simply revisiting the old hits.

Steve also offers his thoughts on Boxing the Compass, discussing why it avoids so many of the pitfalls that plague reunion albums. Instead of sounding like a museum piece, it feels alive, adventurous and unmistakably Haircut 100.

The conversation also looks ahead to the band's upcoming North American tour alongside Adam Ant and Squeeze—a lineup that feels like someone raided an exceptionally good mixtape from 1982.

And for fans planning even farther ahead, Nick shares his excitement about appearing aboard The 80s Cruise in 2027, where Haircut 100 will once again be surrounded by thousands of people who still know every word to "Love Plus One," "Fantastic Day" and "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)."

Whether you've followed Nick since the days of Pelican West or you're just discovering why Haircut 100 remains one of the smartest, most melodic bands of the decade, this conversation is one you won't want to miss.

So pour yourself something tropical, dust off the pastel blazer you swore you'd never wear again, and join us for another trip back to the decade that refuses to fade.

If talking with Nick makes you wish you could hear Haircut 100 while sailing through the Caribbean... good news—you can!

Haircut 100 joins an incredible lineup aboard The 80s Cruise 2027, where you'll enjoy live performances, artist interviews, trivia, themed parties, and enough nostalgia to make your Walkman jealous.

When you book, be sure to use our promo code STUCK to receive up to a $250 cabin credit. It's the easiest way to turn your favorite decade into your next vacation.

We'll see you onboard!

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Episode 791: Forty years ago, the summer of 1986 came with its own soundtrack.

It was a season when some of the biggest artists in music were reinventing themselves, while other bands were just beginning to find the audiences that would follow them for decades. Turn on the radio, walk into a record store or press play on your cassette deck, and you might hear something polished and enormous one minute—then something jangly, strange or wonderfully underground the next.

In this episode of Stuck in the ’80s, Steve and Brad return to the summer of 1986 to celebrate some of the albums turning 40 years old this season.

Among the records up for discussion are works by R.E.M., Genesis, the Smithereens and the Cure—four bands that occupied very different corners of the musical landscape.

Genesis was becoming one of the biggest bands in the world, filling arenas and dominating radio and MTV. R.E.M. was continuing its transformation from college-radio secret into one of the most important American bands of its generation. The Smithereens arrived with a sound that felt both fresh and familiar, filled with ringing guitars, sharp hooks and echoes of the music that inspired them. Meanwhile, the Cure continued building its own mysterious musical universe—dark, romantic, beautiful and unsettling, sometimes all within the same song.

These albums did more than give us music for one particular summer. They became part of the soundtrack of our lives. We bought them on vinyl or cassette, studied the artwork, memorized the lyrics and played them until we knew exactly where every song began and ended.

Some of these records sounded timeless from the beginning. Others may have taken years to fully reveal themselves. And a few might bring back memories of a particular friend, road trip, summer job or bedroom stereo the moment the first note begins.

Steve and Brad share their memories of these albums, revisit some favorite tracks and consider how well the music has survived four decades later. As always, there may be a few disagreements along the way. That is part of the fun.

The episode also includes a couple of our favorite “seggies,” along with the latest news about The ’80s Cruise and Steve’s book, Stuck in the ’80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade.

Listening to the music is one thing. Living it for an entire week at sea is another.

Join the Stuck in the ’80s crew aboard The 80s Cruise for live music, celebrity guests, trivia, parties and thousands of fellow fans who still believe the ’80s were the greatest decade ever.

Book your cabin using promo code STUCK and receive a $250 cabin credit.

For more Stuck in the ’80s, join our Patreon community. For as little as $2 a month, your support helps us continue producing new episodes, booking interviews, maintaining the show and digging deeper into the movies, music and memories that shaped our decade.

Patreon members also get access to additional content, special videos, interviews and other extras that do not always appear in the regular podcast feed.

So grab your headphones, dust off the old cassette case and join us for another trip back to one of the greatest summers in music history.

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Episode 790: Not every story from the 1980s comes wrapped in neon, movie quotes, and mixtapes.

Some begin in darkness.

This week on Stuck in the '80s, I sit down with author Tracy Viola to discuss her remarkable memoir, Pretty Wrecked: Confessions of a Teenage Addict and Her Road to Recovery. While many of our episodes celebrate the music, movies and pop culture that made the decade unforgettable, this conversation reminds us that the '80s also shaped people in ways that weren't always glamorous.

Tracy's story is brutally honest. She writes about abuse, addiction, trauma, and the difficult choices that nearly derailed her life before she found the strength to change its course. But what makes Pretty Wrecked stand apart isn't simply its willingness to confront painful truths. It's Tracy's humor, candor, and refusal to let her past define who she became.

Her journey eventually led her from the streets of Philadelphia to the Ivy League—proof that where you begin doesn't have to determine where you end up.

We talk about what it was like growing up during the '80s, how music and pop culture became part of the backdrop to those years, and why she decided now was the right time to tell her story.

Even if you've never struggled with addiction yourself, chances are you've known someone who has. That's what makes this conversation so powerful. It's ultimately about resilience, accountability, forgiveness, and the possibility of building a better future—even after life has taken some very difficult turns.

It's also surprisingly funny. Tracy has a sharp sense of humor that keeps the conversation from becoming overwhelmingly heavy, and I think listeners will appreciate the balance she strikes between honesty and hope.

This isn't our typical nostalgia episode—and that's exactly why I wanted to share it. The best conversations often take us somewhere unexpected, and Tracy's story is one I think will stay with you long after the episode ends.

We hope you'll give it a listen.

Ready for the ultimate nostalgia vacation?

Join us aboard The 80s Cruise, where you'll spend a week with legendary artists, celebrities, and thousands of fellow fans who still think the greatest decade deserves its own floating reunion.

Use promo code STUCK when booking your cabin and you'll receive up to $250 in onboard credit per cabin.

It's our favorite week of the year, and we'd love to see you there. Use promo code STUCK and tell them your friends at Stuck in the '80s sent you.

And as always, thank you for supporting Stuck in the '80s. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave us a review, and consider supporting us on Patreon. It helps us keep bringing you conversations with the people—and the stories—that defined a generation.

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Episode 789: Summer has a funny way of collapsing time.

One minute you're hearing a familiar song on the radio or smelling charcoal from the neighbor's grill, and suddenly you're sixteen years old again. You're counting down the days until the next blockbuster hits the theater. You're hanging out with friends until the streetlights come on. You're convinced that summer might actually last forever.

With the Fourth of July weekend here, we thought it was the perfect excuse to revisit one of our favorite episodes from the Stuck in the '80s archives.

Originally released in 2008, this episode features Steve Spears and original co-host Sean Daly reminiscing about the movies, songs, and moments that defined summertime during the greatest decade ever. Along the way, we share some personal stories, debate our favorite summer memories, and deliver one of the funniest comedy skits we've ever produced for the show.

Listening to this episode today feels a little like opening an old scrapbook. Not only are we remembering the summers of the '80s—we're also revisiting the early days of Stuck in the '80s itself, when the podcast was still finding its voice and none of us imagined we'd still be doing this more than two decades later.

Whether you've been with us since those early years or you're discovering these classic episodes for the first time, we hope this one reminds you why nostalgia remains such a powerful force. It's never really about the movies or the songs alone. It's about who we were when we experienced them—and the people who shared those moments with us.

Thanks for spending part of your holiday weekend with us. We hope this trip back to 2008 brings back a few memories of your own.

Planning your own trip back to the '80s?

Join us aboard The 80s Cruise, the ultimate floating celebration of the decade we all love. Spend a week with legendary artists, fellow fans, live podcasts, trivia, and unforgettable performances at sea.

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Episode 788: If you grew up in the 1980s, chances are your childhood memories can be measured in action figures, toy catalogs, and Saturday mornings spent convincing your parents that you absolutely needed "just one more."

The toys weren't simply things we owned—they became the stars of our own adventures. They transformed living room floors into battlefields, bedrooms into space stations, and backyards into fantasy worlds that lasted until the streetlights came on.

This week on Stuck in the '80s, we're celebrating those memories with a guest who has managed to turn that same childhood passion into an incredible career.

Steve Spears sits down with Jonathan Cathey, founder and president of The Loyal Subjects, the collectible toy company known for breathing new life into some of pop culture's most beloved characters and franchises. Jonathan discusses how his fascination with toys and storytelling evolved into building a company that creates products for both lifelong collectors and a new generation of fans.

The conversation explores why the toys of the 1980s still resonate decades later. Was it the imagination they inspired? The unforgettable television commercials? The cartoons that made us beg our parents for the latest action figure? Or was there simply something magical about growing up during one of the greatest eras in toy history?

Jonathan also shares what it takes to revive classic toy brands for modern audiences. It's a balancing act between honoring nostalgia and introducing familiar characters to people who weren't even born when these toys first appeared on store shelves. Along the way, he offers a fascinating look behind the curtain at the toy industry, from product development to licensing and everything in between.

Later in the episode, Steve is joined by co-host Chuck Coverly for an extended trip down memory lane.

Together, they compare the toys that defined their childhoods, revisit favorite Christmas gifts, remember the thrill of wandering the toy aisles at department stores, and debate which toys have stood the test of time. It's the kind of conversation every Gen Xer has had at one point: "Did you have one of those?" followed immediately by, "I wish I'd never gotten rid of mine."

Of course, that's one of the great ironies of growing up. The toys we couldn't imagine living without often disappeared into yard sales, closets, or donation boxes—only to become prized collectibles years later.

But maybe that's not the point.

The real value wasn't in what those toys might be worth today. It was in the afternoons they filled with adventure, the friendships they inspired, and the memories they continue to unlock decades later.

Whether your shelves were filled with action figures, toy vehicles, dolls, robots, playsets, or anything in between, this episode is a celebration of the creativity, imagination, and pure joy that made being a kid in the 1980s so special.

So dust off those memories—and maybe that old toy box in the attic—and join us for another nostalgic journey back to the decade we still call home.

Love reliving the '80s as much as we do? Come experience the decade in the most unforgettable way possible aboard The 80s Cruise! Join your favorite artists, fellow fans, and members of the Stuck in the '80s family for concerts, live podcasts, trivia, interviews, and nonstop nostalgia on the high seas.

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Episode 787: When people talk about the summer movies of 1986, the conversation usually starts with Top Gun and ends somewhere around Aliens, The Karate Kid Part II, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It was one of the strongest movie summers of the decade, packed with blockbusters that still dominate pop-culture conversations 40 years later.

But every great movie season leaves a few worthy titles behind.

Ready for the ultimate nostalgia vacation? Join us aboard The 80s Cruise, the world's greatest floating celebration of 1980s music and pop culture. Sail with legendary artists, enjoy exclusive events, and hang out with fellow fans who still know every word to their favorite '80s songs.

Use promo code STUCK when booking and receive $250 in onboard credit per cabin.

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Episode 786: From sci-fi parodies and comedy catchphrases to political satire and celebrity rap records, the ’80s produced some truly unforgettable novelty hits. Steve and Chuck revisit songs that were silly, bizarre, occasionally controversial—and somehow impossible to forget.

In this episode, they discuss:

• "Star Trekkin'" by The Firm, the cult classic that became a No. 1 hit in the United Kingdom

• "You Look Marvelous" by Billy Crystal, inspired by his legendary Saturday Night Live character Fernando

• "Rappin' Rodney" by Rodney Dangerfield, one of the most unlikely rap records of the MTV era

• "Bomb Iran" by Vince Vance & the Valiants, the political parody song inspired by the Iran hostage crisis

Along the way, they explore the role of Dr. Demento, the rise of novelty records in the MTV era, memorable music videos, comedy albums, and why some of the weirdest songs of the decade continue to live rent-free in our heads decades later.

Plus, Steve and Chuck share their memories of discovering these songs, discuss how novelty music fit into the larger pop culture landscape of the 1980s, and debate whether today's music world could ever produce anything quite like them again.

This episode is brought to you by our friends at The 80s Cruise. Join your favorite artists, fellow fans, and the Stuck in the ’80s crew aboard the ultimate floating celebration of the decade. Visit The 80s Cruise and use promo code STUCK when booking to receive a $250 cabin credit.

We also thank our Patreon supporters, whose generosity helps keep the longest-running ’80s pop culture podcast alive and thriving. To learn more about supporting the show, visit our Patreon page.

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Some songs don’t just define a decade — they instantly improve your mood the second they begin playing. Few tracks from the MTV era carry that kind of joyful energy quite like Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves. This week on the Stuck in the ’80s Podcast, Steve sits down with frontwoman Katrina Leskanich for a lively conversation about music, touring and the remarkable twists and turns of her career.

The episode begins with Katrina reflecting on her experiences aboard The 80s Cruise, where she not only performed for fans of the MTV generation but also hosted one of the ship’s beloved trivia competitions. Spearsy and Katrina discuss the uniquely emotional atmosphere of the cruise, where artists and fans reconnect through the shared soundtrack of their youth.

Along the way, Katrina revisits the creation of Walking on Sunshine and reflects on recording with legendary producer Scott Litt at the famous Power Station studio in New York. The conversation explores how the band evolved from London’s gritty club scene into international pop success during the height of the MTV era.

Katrina also discusses the dramatic transition from struggling musician to major-label artist after signing with Capitol Records and the strange realities of navigating the music industry during the 1980s. Like many artists from the era, she experienced both the excitement and pressure of sudden mainstream success.

The interview also revisits Katrina’s surprising second chapter as a Eurovision champion after winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1997 with Love Shine a Light — a career milestone that helped launch her solo career and introduced her music to an entirely new international audience.

Toward the end of the episode, Spearsy and Katrina discuss her upcoming appearances on the Lost 80's Live tour and why audiences continue responding so emotionally to the music of the 1980s. Like many great Stuck in the ’80s interviews, the conversation becomes less about nostalgia itself and more about the joy, connection and shared memories these songs continue creating decades later.

If you love new wave, MTV nostalgia, unforgettable one-hit wonders that deserved to be much bigger and behind-the-scenes stories from one of the most uplifting voices of the decade, this episode belongs in your playlist.

The Stuck in the ’80s Podcast has spent nearly 20 years celebrating the music, movies, television and pop culture of the greatest decade ever. Support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, exclusive livestream hangouts, behind-the-scenes content and merch for longtime listeners.

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